Tefillat Yisrael. The First Siddur Printed in German. Pedigree Copy

Tefillat Yisrael. The First Siddur Printed in German. Pedigree Copy

Tefillot Yisrael, Part II, including a siddur for the entire year in German translation, by David Friedlander. Two title pages, Hebrew and Yiddish-Deutch. Berlin, Chevrat Chinuch Ne'arim Press. 1786. Rare, sought-after siddur. German only.

Text on the second title page: "Jewish prayers for the entire year, translated and elucidated by David Friedlander."

First edition of the siddur in German translation. The siddur was arranged by David Friedlander, a close associate of Moses Mendelsohn's, and one of the patriarchs of the Reform movement. The first part of the siddur was printed entirely in Hebrew as a regular siddur, and this second part was printed in German using Hebrew letters. In this siddur, there are not changes to the traditional text; the changes were inserted by the Reform at a later stage.

Lengthy self-dedication at the top of the title page: "Gift from my friend, the ga'ava"d of Przęsław, Rabbi Shlomo, son of the ga'ava"d of Berlin, Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch ztz"l. I received it on Tuesday, the first day of Rosh HaShanah 1802, here in Breslau. Shalom Zwettels.

The gaon Rabbi Hirschel-Berlin, av beit din of Przęsław (Poland) and London, son of Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch, av beit din of Berlin and nephew of Rabbi Shaul, av beit din of Amsterdam. Succeeded his father as rabbi of the Ashkenazic community in London and all of England from 1802 until his passing in 1842. All his descendants married into distinguished Jewish families, and moved to Poland per his instructions for the hidden reason of not living in England (Klilat Yofi, pp. 134-135).

[9], 172, 49, [2] leaf. There are copies with subscriber leaves, and there are copies with an etching added at the beginning.

Fine condition. Elegant semi-leather binding, gilded and embossed.